This runs an hour and 19 minutes so few of you will watch it…but you should. It's a pretty good video of what I think is one of the ten-or-so best movies ever made: The General starring Buster Keaton. Made in 1926, it was not a success and its failure to perform at the box office damaged Keaton's career somewhat.
Why did it fail? Historians of such things have offered many reasons but a biggie is that audiences then expected more comedy and less serious adventure in a film with Keaton's name on it. Also, back then, there were still people alive with strong first-hand and second-hand feelings about the Civil War and some found things in it as reasons for outrage.
But the film survived and was rediscovered and heralded. The American Film Institute, when it compiled its 10th Anniversary list of the 100 best American movies of all time pegged it at #18. That's pretty darn good. I don't expect anyone to watch the whole thing here…and maybe a web video isn't the ideal way to experience this masterpiece. But I couldn't resist having one of my favorite movies on the site here. You understand…
